Projectors are utilized in many aspects of modern life. From home theaters to business presentations, projectors are provided to offer a wide range of functionality to consumers. For example, a projector may provide a display of a slide show on a screen, a display of a movie in a home theater setting, and so on.
Projectors may be configured in a variety of ways to provide desired functionality. For example, a consumer may carry a mobile projector to provide a slideshow presentation. The mobile projector may be configured to have a reduced size and weight so that the projector may be more easily carried. Even in non-mobile applications, a reduced size and weight is still desirable. For example, a projector may be configured for use in home theater setting to provide an output of movies and television programs. To provide the output, the projector may be mounted to the ceiling in the home theater setting for a display of the output on a screen. A projector having a reduced size and weight may appear less obtrusive and therefore more desirable even when mounted to the ceiling.
Projectors may also be configured to provide an amount of light for a contemplated setting. For instance, projectors may be utilized to provide a display on a screen. The brightness of the display decreases as the size of the display increases and the distance between the screen and the projector increases. To provide an output that has a sufficient brightness for a desired application, the projector includes a light source that outputs a sufficient amount of light for the desired application. The light source, however, may utilize a significant amount of space in the projector due to the size of the light source itself as well as the size of any cooling device that may be utilized to protect the projector from heat generated by the light source. Thus, the amount of light output by the projector may be limited by the size of the projector.
Therefore, it would be an advance in the art to provide a projector having a reduced size and/or increased light output.
The same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.